Stories for November 16th 2015

Latin America is expanding at a 'two-speed' rate according to the latest report from the Spanish bank BBVA, pointing out that the Pacific Alliance is expected to grow 2.5% in 2015/16, while Mercosur will be lagging with a contraction of 2% to 1.5%.

Outgoing Argentine president Cristina Fernandez will be leaving not only the Central bank reserves exhausted but also a budget deficit which is estimated at 7% of GDP by the end of the fiscal year, equivalent to 400.000 million Pesos, according to the country's National Auditing Office, AGN.

With a repeat of their respective campaign strategies, not much content, and less replies Argentina's presidential candidates, incumbent Daniel Scioli and opposition hopeful Mauricio Macri debated during 75 minutes in four main blocks following clearly established rules of two minutes presentations and one minute question and answer.

Jamaica's Ministry of Health is urging people to be more vigilant and to clean up their environment and destroy mosquito breeding sites, in light of the announcement by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) that the Zika virus has been detected in a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nation.

The strong 16 pages long letter sent by OAS (Organization of American States) secretary general Luis Almagro to Venezuelan electoral officials calling for transparency, international observers and freeing political prisoners, ahead of December 6 legislative elections, triggered an immediate furious insulting reaction from Venezuela's strongman Diosdado Cabello, but also again exposed a growing rift in the Uruguayan government.

The number three man in the Argentine Air Force refused to sign the purchase of 14 Israeli refurbished Kfir fighter jets, an operation involving 360 million dollars, and which supposedly would have given the depleted service a breath of fresh air.